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Wicked
Wicked : Stage Musical (2003). :Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz, Book: Winnie Holzman. Synopsis :Adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s novel, this is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz story from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West, redeeming her of the bad publicity propagated by Frank L Baum’s version. Mainly focusing on the lead characters of Elphaba and Galinda and their friendship and relationship. Originally starring Idina Menzel as the misunderstood Green Girl Elphaba and Kristen Chenoweth as Galinda (Later Glinda). Originally on Broadway this is now on London's West End, Chicago and touring the US. Act 1 The hit musical Wicked is about the untold friendship of the Witches of Oz. It starts out as Elphaba (Wicked witch of the west) goes to a University called Shiz. She has to bring her sister, Nessa Rose (Witch of the East) There, Elphaba is roomed with her new rival, Galinda (Good witch of the North) They both have a crush on a handsome rich student named Fiyero (Scarecrow later) Galinda and Elphaba become best of friends one night at a Shiz "Dancing Through Life" ballroom dance. Glinda received a hat from her grandmother. She didn't like it so she gave it to Elphaba. The hat looked like a witch's hat but Elphaba didn't think about it like that at all! After, Galinda gives Elphaba a makeover. When Galinda is finished, Elphaba runs out of the room astonished at her new look. (Since all the other students make fun of her skin - which is green) Elphaba's favorite goat teacher, Dr. Dillamond, gets removed from the classroom. Elphaba wonders that what Dr. Dillamond told her earlier was true. Animals are losing their human speech. When the principal, Madame Morrible, informs Elphaba she can go meet the Wizard, she is thrilled. But after seeing her friend get "dumped" by Fiyero, Elphaba invited Glinda to come. Galinda changed her name since Dr. Dillamond was removed and always called her Glllllllllinda. All for Fiyero. But he wasn't impressed and liked some other girl. Elphaba did not know it, but Fiyero liked ''her. '' Elphaba and Glinda had a blast in The Emerald City. Until the Wizard's Castle. In there, Madame Morrible became the press secretary for the Wizard. Elphaba got hold of the Gimmirie and conducted a magical spell as the Wizard wished. But the Wizard tricked Elphaba into making his flying monkeys spies. Elphaba was furious and ran out with the magical book of spells. With Glinda hot on her trail. Glinda was furious and Elphaba the same. After they cooled down, Elphaba heard the guards trying to bang down the door in the attic, where they were hiding. So quickly, Elphaba conducted another magic spell and made a old broom levitate off the ground. Elphaba grabbed it and got on. She looked at Glinda and asked her to come with her. Not having the guts to say no, Glinda simply put a black shawl over her shoulders and stepped back. Both wished each other the best of luck in their new lives. The guards burst in a seized Glinda. Elphaba stepped forward and yelled that Glinda had nothing to do with it. She was the evil one. (not really though) The guards let go of Glinda and almost seized Elphaba. But she was too quick. Knocking the guards down, Elphaba pointed the broom skywards and flew. She called herself The Wicked Witch of the West! Act II Glinda later tried to convince Fiyero to marry her. But he refused and ran off after hearing horrid rumors about Elphaba. Fiyero found Elphaba and told her he loved her. Elphaba flew down to the Wizard's Castle to stop the fighting and make herself good again. When she got there, Elphaba found the Wizard and promised to join him as long as he set the monkeys free. The Wizard kept his word and did. But Elphaba found a familiar goat hidden in a corner. Dr. Dillamond! But something changed... He couldn't speak english! All he could do was bleat out goat sounds. Elphaba took her broom, the magic book of spells, and her dignity and swore she would never join the Wizard ever. After that, Elphaba swept into her own house to find Nessa Rose the new Governess and Elphaba's father dead of grief. Elphaba took out her magic book of spells and conducted another spell. This time, Nessa Rose's feet untangled and she could walk! When Boq (the Tinman) came out and told Nessa that he loved Glinda and not Nessa, Nessa snatched the book of spells and said a spell to make Boq's heart belong to her. But she said it wrong and Boq's heart started to shrink. Elphaba didn't know how to reverse a spell so she turned Boq into something that didn't need a heart, a tinman. Boq was mad at Elphaba for turning him into a "creature" when she really saved his life. When Elphaba was with Fiyero in his castle, a flying house passed by and Elphaba immediately went to Nessa Rose. Found that Nessa was hit and dead, Elphaba was devastated. The guards surprised Elphaba and arrested her. But Fiyero said that he would give his life for her. So the guards took him to kill him. Elphaba ran into Fiyero's castle and conducted a spell to make Fiyero never die and his flesh never hurt nor bleed. This turned Fiyero into the Scarecrow. When Elphaba flew down and landed by the yellow brick road, she found Glinda there waving goodbye to a farm girl. A little catfight took place and Elphaba received a letter from now one of her flying monkeys. It said that Fiyero wasn't going to make it. Both girls were devastated. Back at Fiyero's castle, Elphaba had Dorthy trapped for stealing Nessa Rose's shoes. Glinda flew in on a magical bubble and commanded Elphaba to stop. Both still devastated on the death of Fiyero, they both knew this would be their very last time seeing each other. There were witch hunters headed toward the castle and Elphaba wasn't going to make it. Elphaba handed Glinda the magical book of spells and wished her luck. Dorthy broke free with the help of the witch hunters and Glinda hastily hid in a corner. Chistery (the flying monkey) pulled a curtain over so that Glinda wouldn't see the painful death of her best friend. She saw the shadow of the farm girl throw water on Elphaba and Elphaba slowly melt. When the witch hunters and Dorthy left, Glinda found Chistery shaking his head. Glinda found a familiar hat that she gave her friend out of pure hatrid. She felt a tear role down her cheek. Elphaba was gone. Glinda knew what she had to do. She went back to the Wizard's castle and had Morrible arrested for starting a cyclone and making it kill the innocent. She sat by the Wizard and saw a small green tube that Elphaba always carried around. When Glinda told the Wizard that, he remembered that he turned Elphaba green. He was heartbroken. The death of Elphaba and the title The Wicked Witch of the West was ''his ''fault. Glinda started up the air balloon and told him to return to his real home. The party of the death of The Wicked Witch of the West started up. But what all of them did not know, not even Glinda, was Elphaba hid under a trap door and waited for Fiyero, who could never die, to come and say the coast is clear. He did and they reunited. She will still carry on her evil doings as The Wicked Witch of the West. Roles (Original Broadway Cast) Elphaba- Idina Menzel Glinda- Kristen Chenoweth Wizard- Joel Grey Fiyero- Norbert Leo Butz Madame Morrible- Carole Shelley Boq- Christopher Fitzgerald Nessa- Michelle Federer Chistery- Manuel Herrara Dr. Dillamond- William Youmans Productions Broadway Production London Production Links :Broadway Musical :Musical Theatre Audition :Wicked London :Wicked the musical Reviews :New York Times Review :USA Today Review :NY1 News Review :Curtain Up Review :Talkin' Broadway Review :TheaterMania Review :MIT Tech Review :Talkin' Broadway Dallas Review :Blunt Los Angeles Review :Telegraph Review :Guardian Review :Independent Review :London Theatre Guide Review :Indie London Review :BroadwayWorld London Review :Teen Today Review :iVillage Review Videos :Broadwayworld.com video :Theatre.com video :Bacstage with Carole Shelley :Backstage with Julia Murney :Defying Gravity at the Tony Awards :Inside Chicago :American Express Presents :Popular NBC News :Trailer :Wicked Documentary :London Cast Official Video :For Good Rehearsal Documentary :Kennedy Center Evening with Stephen Schwartz Category:Musicals Directory Category:Musicals based on novels Category:Musicals with music by Stephen Schwartz Category:Musicals with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Category:2003 musicals Category:Musicals based on works by Gregory Maguire